Description: The past is constantly present, not least in the study of imperialism and imperial forms of power in international politics. This volume shows how historical trajectories have shaped international affairs covering a wide range of imperial and (post-) colonial settings in international politics, substantiating the claim that imperial and colonial legacies - and how they have transformed over time - are foundational to the historicity of international politics. It contributes to debates on the role of history in International Relations (IR) by combining theoretical arguments on the role of history through the concept of 'historicity' with concrete empirical analyses on a wide range of imperial and colonial legacies. This volume also advances interdisciplinary perspectives on this topic by fostering dialogue with Historical Sociology and Global History. It will interest scholars and advanced students of IR, historical sociology and global politics, especially those working on the history of international politics, and the legacies of colonialism and imperialism.
Brief description: Klaus Schlichte is a professor of International Relations and World Society at the University of Bremen. His works, published in English and German leading political science journals, cover theories of political sociology, armed conflict and dynamics of state domination. He has carried out research in Germany, Senegal, Mali, Serbia, France and Uganda, and he has taught in the US, France, Kyrgystan and Germany.
Review Quotes: 'Scholars of IR tend to treat history as 'one damn thing after another', as a case to be mined, or as happening before 1990. But history is not the past but the present. Citing William Faulkner, Barack Obama observed, 'the past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past.' History is ever present and quite alive. This extraordinary collection of essays by an all-star line-up shines alternative lights on how to 'do' history and the ways history 'matters'.' Michael N. Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, The George Washington University